


A Little Prince

by Gedachtenextracten



Category: Rookie Blue
Genre: Alternate Universe, Arranged Marriage, F/F, F/M, Middle Ages
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-01
Updated: 2020-04-19
Packaged: 2021-03-01 05:27:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 17,484
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23429944
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gedachtenextracten/pseuds/Gedachtenextracten
Summary: Medieval AU.A prince is in need of a wife. An evil step-mother marries off her step-daughter.Golly is endgame. Always will be.(This time, I kind of wrote out the plot in advance so if I stick to it, I should be able to finish this!)
Relationships: Gail Peck/Holly Stewart
Comments: 56
Kudos: 62





	1. A new world

**Author's Note:**

> I tested positive so I am prohibited from going into work and I literally have nothing to do all day, except feeding and petting the cats. No wifi, only data. Almost to the bottom of my Netflix downloads. B-O-R-I-N-G.

There had never been a proposal. The prince was looking for a bride to marry, soon-ish, before his next birthday if possible. Thus, his men had subtly enquired with other nobility  about eligible candidates. That’s where she came in.

There was an engagement, however. Even before she had ever set eyes on him. That announcement was sent out to what felt like the entire world at the exact same time that she was sent away to his kingdom. Married off to a stranger.

There was not much to prepare, not many goodbyes to be said. Her father had just recently passed away, and by law, she couldn’t inherit until she became of age. “A girl in your situation,” her stepmother had said with obvious disdain, “should not complain about anything, least of all a man of the prince’s standing wanting to marry her.”

And that was that.

\-----------

His name was Steven. And so far, his name was all she knew about the prince.

A few of his personal guard had come to retrieve her for him and escort her back to his palace. Holly was determined to find out at least something about this prince she was about to marry before she arrived there.

Lucky for her, the two guards that stayed with her most often were quite talkative. At least one of them was. Oliver (“ _call me Ollie_ ”) was a man twice her age, with a kind face and an easy smile. The other, female guard, who introduced herself as Noelle, was more of a mother figure, although more reserved than Oliver. And so, Holly found herself on the back of a horse, riding through the woods to a destination she had never even dreamed to reach, let alone for this reason.

“I’m sure you’re going to love the capital city,” Oliver babbled away next to her. “It’s magnificent. You should see some of the houses in the part West from the river. Truly astounding!”

“I’m sorry for interrupting you, but do you—Do you know why the prince asked to marry _me_?” Holly questioned.

Ollie’s eyebrows rose. “What do you mean?”

“Well, I—I don’t understand… My stepmother just—” _threatened to marry me off and then did so as soon as possible,_ Holly thought, although she didn’t dare to say that out loud.

Luckily Ollie could sense that she wasn’t about to elaborate. “Your mother sent out a message that you were looking for a young, strong husband. And my prince happened to be in need for a wife. You were the perfect match for each other.”

Holly frowned. “In need? How so?”

“Well,” Ollie shrugged. “You know. He has duties. There has been talk among the nobles in the capital city. He needs to provide another heir to secure the throne. He, um, he kind of needs you for that.”

Holly felt bile rising up her throat.

“Are you alright?” Noelle asked, shooting Oliver a stern look to shut him up. “You look a bit pale.”

“I’m fine,” Holly lied. “Just a little tired, is all.”

Noelle didn’t look too convinced but dropped the subject regardless.

“Could you tell me a little more about prince Steven then? What is he like? What does he like to do?”

“And what he looks like?” Oliver supplied, ever helpfully. “He’s about your age, a year or so older. Not overly tall, lean, blonde, icy blue eyes.”

Noelle swatted at her fellow guard. “If I didn’t know better, I’d say you have a thing for him,” she laughed.

“I do!” Oliver started laughing too. “He’s my special boy. I love him like I love my own.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Noelle agreed fondly. “We all know you do.”

So far day one.

\-----------

The first week, there was no trouble finding inns to stay the night. One night, a guard called Chloe re-joined the party. She had been suffering from a stomach bug on their way there and hadn’t been able to travel all the way to Holly’s hometown. Instead, she had stayed in the inn where they now spent the night. Holly took an immediate like to the bubbly woman. With Chloe joining their ranks, there were now six of them.

After spending a whole day in the saddle, both Holly and all five of the prince’s guards – _her guards now_ , she corrected herself – were content with a simple bed, a warm bath and a hot meal. They didn’t ask for much and neither did she. Holly had noticed that this seemed to gain her the approval of Noelle, who was assigned to sleep in her chambers and guard her at night, and whom she sometimes had to share a bed with. As she did so without complaining, Noelle seemed to warm up to her. So did the other guards. Dov and Chris mostly kept to themselves, though Chris was always there to help her pack up her tent and pack her horse.

One night, Noelle offered to brush her hair for her. Holly found no trouble in doing it herself, but as she supposed this was some kind of peace offering, she obligingly sat down in front of Noelle who deftly started to comb and braid her hair for her.

“I’m sorry it has to be this way,” she heard Noelle mumble behind her.

Holly hissed in pain as Noelle combed through a stubborn knot. “What do you mean?”

“No girl should be married off to a husband she has never laid eyes on before,” Noelle responded sadly. “It’s not right. Not even if he’s a prince.”

 _No girl should be married off at all,_ Holly thought. But she kept that thought to herself. Woman and girls weren’t supposed to have opinions like these.

“You should have had your say in the matter as well,” Noelle continued. “Don’t get me wrong, the prince is a kind man and he has earned my respect. But you should at least have the option to refuse the prince.”

This surprised Holly. She turned around to face Noelle, who was blushing profusely.

“I’m sorry, milady. I shouldn’t have said anything.”

They both fell silent, with only the sound of the brush going through her hair interrupting the quiet.

\-----------

Every day went more or less the same. As the inns became sparser, the party took to setting up camp and sleeping in the woods. Home cooked meals were replaced by meals cooked above a campfire. Hot baths were replaced by cold creeks or no water at all.

It was exhausting, both mentally and physically. Although the guards were very friendly and welcoming people, Holly felt alone. On the fifth day of camping in the woods, Holly silently cried herself to sleep. She missed her best friend, she missed her home even if she didn’t miss her stepmother. Heavy rain pouring down on their tent covered her quiet sobs. She didn’t think Noelle was awake still. Otherwise, Holly might have confided in her and told her that she missed her old home, that she was afraid of the unknown that laid ahead. But no one noticed, and no one asked.

\-----------

Early the next morning, Holly was softly shaken awake by Noelle.

“Good morning, milady. Time to go.”

Holly rubbed her eyes and pushed the covers away. As quickly as she could, she packed her stuff and left her tent to be taken down and packed away by the guards. As she left the tent, she saw that the rain had cleansed the air. As she walked towards the fire, a feeling of loneliness overwhelmed her. Despite her courage, she couldn’t help but feel fear and anxiousness for the people she’d left at home.

She knew her stepmother had never loved her. She had barely even tolerated her. Holly wasn’t sure if her stepmother had even ever loved her father. Just as hers was now, the marriage of her stepmother to her father had been an arranged one. However, she did believe that her father had married her mother out of love, but she could never have asked them. Her mother had died when she was just a toddler and her father tended to have this anguished look on his face whenever her mother was mentioned, up until his own passing. One of the last things he had said to her, was how he looked forward to being reunited with her mother and how Holly had been both the best and worst reminder of just what he had lost. It hadn’t helped but to add to her grief.

And now here she was, on her way to be wed to a prince who needed a child, not a wife, not her. She could only hope not to become as unhappy and bitter as her stepmother. Though her father had always be kind to his second wife, it hadn’t been a warm marriage. It stemmed from convenience above anything else, and noticeably so. Holly didn’t want that for herself. She knew she had to accept that this marriage arrangement was happening. She knew there wasn’t anything to be done about it. She just wished that she and her future husband would respect each other and maybe learn to love each other.

It frightened her, the thought of becoming like her stepmother. Being as bitter and spiteful as the women who should have raised her as her own. But instead, her stepmother couldn’t have rid herself of Holly sooner. Her father’s corpse wasn’t even cold, so to say, before she had forced Holly out of her own home. She made clear from the very start that Holly needed to obey her orders and wishes. And very often, neither of those were in Holly’s best interests. In fact, most of them made Holly even more isolated than she already was.

As a child, Holly never had had many friends. She was geeky and awkward, and mostly kept to herself out of fear of making a fool of herself. All her life, her father had been away from their castle quite a lot, and her stepmother hadn’t taken any interest in her. When she was little, Holly used to sneak off to the kitchen where she sat as close to the fire as she dared, watching Cook efficiently run the kitchen. Holly had felt right at home. At first, Cook had pretended not to notice Holly. One day, when Holly was drawn in by the scent of pastries fresh from the oven, she grew bold enough to try and take one. As she reached for one on the tray, her hand was swatted away by a very angry looking Cook and she was reprimanded so thoroughly that she fled away and hid in a closed for the rest of the day, thinking about how she lost access to the only place she ever felt warm and safe. That was where a little boy found her quite a few hours later. He knocked on the door and opened it just a notch so she could see his kind face. He had held a pastry, like the one she had trying to take before, and offered it to her. That was when she learned that Cook didn’t mind her being in the kitchens at all, that she was even _welcome_ to be there. Cook had been afraid of Holly burning herself on a hot tray and had frankly overreacted. Of course, it didn’t help that Cook would have been heavily punished by her stepmother had Holly been burnt. When Cook couldn’t find Holly after she ran away, she had sent her son to go after her and offer her a cooled off pastry.

That was how Holly learned two things. Firstly, to always, _ALWAYS,_ be careful in a busy kitchen. And secondly, that there were kind people who liked her for her, and liked spending time with her. That despite her geekiness, people liked spending time with her. It didn’t matter if she was nobility or a street rat. In no time she had made friends with Sven, Cook’s son. And as a result, she got to spend some time with the other children their age and call them her friends too.

\-----------

But that was then, and this was now. Holly had had to leave everyone behind, and she knew that none of them had the means nor the time to come and visit her, and she doubted her stepmother would allow her to visit the castle anymore.

The cold of the harsh wind penetrated even through the thick wool of her cloak and brought her out of her thoughts and back to the real world around her.

“You alright?” Noelle asked.

Holly nodded. “Just…”

“Tired?” Noelle supplied before she paused and cautiously added “Milady, if there’s anything I can do to make you feel more at ease, you should tell me.”

Holly offered her a small smile. “Thank you, Noelle. That is very kind of you.”

Noelle nodded and urged her horse into a trot, riding up to Oliver to discuss the planning of the day with him. Holly rode alone for a few minutes. Then Chloe steered her horse to her side and offered her a broad smile. Holly had to admit she liked the woman. For all her bubbliness and sparkles, she was funny and genuine. Holly liked that in people. Chloe’s company made her feel less lonely. If she gave it a little more time, she was sure she could become friends with all five of them. So at least, even if the prince himself would turn out to be a human disaster, she could still enjoy being in the company of her guards.


	2. Dinner's ready

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Meeting the fam, y'all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So far I have had three swabs up my nose. I recommend the smallest one.

It took them a little over two weeks to reach the capital city. The weather had been good ever since that rain-filled night a couple of days ago allowing them to travel swiftly. As soon as they left the woods, Oliver traded their horses for a carriage that could seat the two of them. The rest of her guard remained horseback riding. Finally, they reached their destination. Oliver had pointed it out for her as soon as they could distinguish tops of buildings in the distance. When they drove towards the city gates, all of them except Holly and Oliver dismounted their horses and jovially greeted people Holly had heard plenty of stories about during the past weeks. She was sad to leave the familiarity of the guard behind. Oliver reassured her that she had nothing to worry about and that he was certain she’d love the palace once they’d arrived. _And,_ he said, _the guard is yours. They’re at your service. They won’t be far._

As the carriage approached the palace, the prince was standing on the top of the stairs that lead to the main entrance. As soon as the carriage halted, Oliver jumped off of the driver’s seat and rushed to her aid.

As he helped her down, she let her gaze roam over the palace and the gardens in front of it. Mesmerised by the sight, she turned around to tell Oliver _he had been right_ but halted when her eyes fell on the prince and she stopped in her tracks.

Oliver hadn’t lied. Prince Steven was about her height and age, blonde, pale and blue-eyed. He wasn’t the tallest man she knew, but his stance made him seem taller than he really was. The prince wasn’t quite what Holly had expected, but then again, she hadn’t really known exactly what to expect either. Maybe a more broad-shouldered and bearded man, like her father had been. How had Oliver not mentioned him having a beard or not? Come to think of it, Oliver never described anything about the prince in more than vague and general terms. Regardless, she had to admit he was handsome. She wondered why a man of his standing would agree to marry a lesser noble like her

Oliver gently nudged her forward in the direction of the stairs while he stayed behind. Prince Steven looked down at her as she approached him. He had his arms around his back and his chin raised. She hadn’t expected him to move but as she took the first step on the stairs, he descended to meet her halfway. When he reached her, he turned so their bodies were aligned and offered out his elbow, which she took without hesitating. Together, they climbed the rest of the stairs.

They didn’t exchange a single word until they reached the entrance and she stepped in the palace for the first time. She let go of the prince’s hand and let out a small gasp. On the inside, the palace was even more grand than on the outside. From the carpets to the bannisters, from the curves of the ceiling to the beauty of the glass windows. The palace was all calm colours and mahogany, the stained window glass casting colourful light along the stone walls and the marble floor. It reminded her of the fairy tales her father used to read to her on the nights he was home. But how could she ever live here? How would a building this large and this grand ever feel cosy and safe? How was she supposed to not get lost here, both physically and whichever other way?

“Milady.” Prince Steven interrupted her thoughts. His voice was a tad higher than she expected. “I know we should make acquaintance, but I get the impression that you are quite tired… I wondered if you might want to go to your chambers to rest a little first?”

Holly nodded.

“Off we go then.” He didn’t smile, nor did he show any other emotion. He just silently escorted her to her chambers, only interrupting the quiet to point out where they were and make it easier for her to find her way around.

“Here we are,” he finally said after passing what felt like dozens of hallways. “Your chambers are here.” He pushed the doors open and led her inside a grand room that sported a few couches in front of a hearth. The room was spacious as was the rest of the castle. “Mine are a little further. If you need anything, you can use this,” he pointed to a little bell, “to fetch someone from our staff.” He pointed out the bedroom, the bathroom and her study. “I’ll have a servant fetch your luggage for you, and I will instruct someone to come and get you when dinner’s ready. We will talk later.” He bowed slightly, turned around and exited the room. With a soft click of the door, the prince was gone.

\----------------

Left with only her thoughts she started to inspect her chambers. The living room where prince Steven had left her, held not only the hearth and couches but also a few bookcases and a small desk near the window. It all looked expensive and she was afraid she might break something. She scanned the titles on the bookshelves and was impressed by what she found. There was light streaming in through two high windows. Then her investigation brought her to her bedroom and the adjacent bathroom. There was a grand armoire she was sure not even all the clothes she had ever owned from birth until now could fill. The bed looked soft and neat and sturdy, and Holly was sure that this too must have cost a fortune. Lastly, there was a smaller empty room. Holly returned to the living room. She took a heavy breath and sat down on the couch. It’s soft, but not too soft, and she absently runs her finger down the fabric, trying to will her upcoming tears away. She doesn’t want to be homesick. She misses Sven’s warm voice and his goofiness, and she misses their friends’ jests and laughs. But apart from her friends, there’s nothing to miss, is there?

A knock on her door startled her out of her thoughts. A servant slipped inside and bowed so deeply his nose almost touched the ground. “Milady, I brought your case for you.”

She stood up and thanked him, after which he placed the case in her bedroom.

“Do you need me to unpack for you?”

She shook her head and dismissed him before he could ask or offer her anything else. One traitor tear was quickly wiped away. She felt exhausted and wanted to lie down for a while, until she had to get ready for dinner.

When her heart rate finally slowed and her chest didn’t feel like it will break out of her skin, she finally managed to fall asleep.

\----------------

Dinner had been – to say the least – _peculiar_. A servant had escorted her to the dining room, where the prince had been waiting for her. The king and queen had yet to arrive. Tonight, the nobles were absent. The servant had informed her of that beforehand, explaining that the prince had requested it.

The servant held open the door for her and left as soon as she was inside the room. Prince Steven stood up from his chair and cautiously walked towards her.

“Milady. Do you feel a little more rested?”

“I do, your highness.”

He sighed and waved his hand about. “Drop the titles. If we are to be wed, I don’t want us to address each other by our titles.”

 _But hadn’t he done just that a moment before?_ She shook off that thought and agreed. He motioned for her to come closer and held out her chair for her. After that, he took a seat beside her. An awkward silence fell between them. Just as she opened her mouth to say something, the king and queen entered and took their own seats.

Before long, the servants brought out their meal. Holly did not have any appetite. The atmosphere in the dining room didn’t really help. She didn’t know what to think of the royal family. The king looked earnest, barely acknowledging his son and his soon-to-be daughter-in-law. The prince hadn’t said a word since his parents had entered. The queen was the only one that spoke. Her voice sounded completely normal and pleasant, but her mouth twitched with a fait hint of disapproval. Holly could feel the queen’s eyes on her, she could feel her scrutinizing her, but she refused to squirm. At last, queen Elaine turned towards her husband and politely urged everyone to start eating.

The silence was torture. However, when Queen Elaine addressed her son, it was even more gruesome.

“Steven, my son, you are aware of the situation you have led us in, aren’t you?” Her words were laced with an icy bite. Holly had never known anyone be as polite and yet as condescending and disapproving at the same time.

It caused Holly to cease her movement mid-chew. Both men looked up at the queen. Holly’s eyes darted to the prince’s direction to gauge what this was about. Queen Elaine arched her eyebrow at her son. He had a frightening emptiness to his expression. Holly suddenly realised that this must be something prince Steven was used to. She swallowed. It made her heart ache and she reached out to him under the table.

If prince Steven even noticed, he chose to ignore her. He wiped his mouth and put down his napkin. “Yes, mother,” he said plainly.

“Let’s talk about it then.”

His brow furrowed.

“You found yourself a bride,” Elaine said through gritted teeth, “—without consulting us.” Holly flinched at that.

Steven arched an eyebrow, daring his mother to continue.

“May I remind you that we are not only your parents, but also your king and queen?” She glared at him. “And on top of that, you chose a girl of _her_ standing? Or shall I say, _lack thereof_?” The king placed his hand on top of his wife’s, but it completely missed it’s intended calming effect. She all but swatted him away.

The prince sighed. “May I remind you that the bride you are so kindly opposing to is present, right here. She can hear you.”

“I am aware.”

Holly was certain she must be dreaming. The queen was talking about her as if she were some whore, purchased for a night. This whole situation was ridiculous. It already felt surreal that she was in the royal palace at all. And now the queen and the prince were arguing in front of her, about her, and she never even wished to be here in the first place. The queen sighed disappointedly.

“What I want to say is… We could have arranged a marriage for you. With a more suitable candidate. We could have made sure that you would have tightened our bond with another kingdom and meanwhile, your—” the queen waved her hand about, “—dalliance with this girl would have been kept under wraps.”

Holly bowed her head and tried to swallow back her tears. “Mother, with all due respect.” Steven leaned forward, squinting dangerously at Elaine. “I will not have you insult my fiancée like this.” He harshly shoved his chair backwards and held out his hand to Holly, not averting his glare from the queen. “Now if you’ll excuse us. We have somewhere else to be.”

With that, he intertwined his fingers with hers and all but pulled her out of the room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope it's obvious that  
> \- Holly has no idea what is going on, why she's there and she's all '???' and '!!!?'  
> \- Elaine does not approve  
> \- there is a strong woman behind every man and this man does not stand up to his wife  
> \- Steven. hah.
> 
> Your feedback is more than welcome! Tell me what I'm doing right and more importantly, what I'm doing wrong. I am not convinced I'm doing this right, English is not my first language and sometimes I don't know how to translate what I am trying to say. On top of that, I think 50% of my sentences are too long and boring :/ Send help.


	3. Freeze, fight, flight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> (I think some of you are on to me)  
> Anyway, here are:  
> \- Holly (in bed)  
> \- Gail!  
> \- Traci

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Should've been doing a hospital shift today but I can't examine sick people since I'm sick myself. So here you are.

Holly woke up and realised none of it was a dream. She was back in her room, where the prince had taken her after they’d left the diner room. She remembered him refusing to talk, promising that they would but only after he had calmed down, that he didn’t want to upset her by saying something mean right now. So she had disappeared into her bathroom to put on a nightgown and had gone to bed, leaving the prince to his brooding in the living room.

Holly rolled on her back and pulled the sheets closer around her. Her bed was so wide that when she extended her arms and legs, she couldn’t touch neither side of it. She did not know how long she had been asleep for. The light coming from the windows was considerably brighter than when she’d gone to bed, after that disaster of a dinner.

Her eyes traced the lines on the woodwork of her bed. It was a lot to handle, being here. Last month, when it became clear to her that her father would unquestionably die, she knew her life was going to change, and she expected it would be for the worst. Right now, she didn’t really know what to think of the situation she found herself in. _Her stepmother had all but exiled her when she had discovered that Holly—No. She didn’t want to think about it._ Holly hadn’t slept the night it had happened. Her stepmother had been screaming and throwing insults at her throughout the night because of what happened, and Holly had never felt so filthy, so small, so unworthy. But a few days later, there was a prince who had agreed to marry her. The two didn’t add up. What did this prince want from her? Had her stepmother not told him what happened? Did he know but just not care? But then, why would he avoid her like he did?

“Hey.” His voice, although soft, startled her. She hadn’t really expected him to be here.

She sat up straighter. “Hey.”

“Did you sleep well?”

It felt strange to have such a normal conversation. “Yes, I did. And you?”

He groaned a response.

“Your highness—” He glared at her. “Steven, I mean. What am I doing here?”

He leaned back and crossed his ankle over the knee of his other leg. “What are you asking?”

“Your mother seems mildly opposed to our marriage—” He huffed. “—and I do not understand… If this was not a marriage that your parents arranged, then… who did?”

Steven shrugged. “I did.”

“Then please, tell me why?” she pleaded.

He uncrossed his legs and leaned forward. “I—” he started. He brought his fingertips to his forehead to rub some tension away. “Look,” he leaned back again. “We were both in a situation we weren’t very happy with. At least I was, but from what I’ve gathered, I assume you’d feel the same. A marriage between the two of us would save us both a lot of trouble. You can escape your stepmother. I’ll have a bride and the nobles will get off my back. And who knows, someday there will be a rightful heir, born from this marriage between the two of us.”

Holly looked ashen. “What do you know about my situation? How do you know my stepmother?”

“I don’t.” He looked up at her. “Know her, I mean. I’ve heard some rumours.” He took a deep breath, tilted his head and continued. “I doubt a lot of people know as much details as I do, if it relieves some of your concern.”

It didn’t. She averted her gaze. “So, you know… what happened?” she asked quietly.

“Yes.” He sighed. “Not all the details, of course. And I don’t need to know, either. I got the gist of it, and that’s enough to assure that this union,” He looked her straight in the eye, “will prove to be beneficial for both of us.”

With that, he stood up, dusted off his pants and said his goodbyes.

  
\----------------

She pushed the doors open and took a seat opposite of her mother. Elaine glared at her. Gail smiled sweetly back at her.

“Gail,” Elaine sighed disappointedly. “You _know_ it wasn’t in your right to—”

“It’s too late now, mother,” she interrupted.

“Please wipe that smug expression off of your face.”

“I am your mother and your queen, and I will not be—”

“It is too late, _mother_ ,” Gail repeated. “There is no withdrawing the announcement of the engagement. Steven and Holly, what a pair, don’t you think?” She faked a smile.

“Darling…” Elaine heaves a sigh. “I’m not doing this to get back at you. I am doing this for my kingdom – _your_ kingdom too. Both yours and hers. What will our people say about our prince marrying a common girl?”

“But she’s not though, is she? Common?”

A look of annoyance crossed Elaine’s face. “You tell me, Gail,” her mother spat. “Since you know _so much_ about her. Tell me, does she know about you? Does she know that Steven—”

Gail growled. “Don’t you even _dare_ finish that sentence,” she warned her.

“Ah,” her mother tutted triumphantly. “I see. She doesn’t, then. Let me get this clear. You arranged for _Steven_ to marry this poor girl…” She smiled wickedly. “And, by the way, I mean poor in every single way,” she added helpfully. “But now you’re telling me that she doesn’t even _know._ ” Elaine laughed heartlessly. “Good luck with that.”

  
\----------------

More than once, Holly had walked into the wrong room. She got lost trying to find the dining room, she once meant to go to the front garden of the palace then somehow ended up at the back. Holly felt lost. She hadn’t seen any of ‘her’ guards more than in passing, and although people were always friendly and polite when they saw her, she missed having a real human connection. Prince Steven was polite as well, but he did not spend more time with her than strictly necessary. It made her wonder if he was regretting agreeing to marry her.

“Oh.” Someone almost bumped into her as they exited the heavy wooden door leading to the… kitchen? The savoury aroma of meat roasting wafted through the door. “Excuse me, milady.” The girl curtsied.

“Is this the kitchen?” Holly asked, staring at the door.

“Yes,” the servant nodded. She was an attractive woman of about her age. She was fumbling with the knot of her apron. “Do you—Can I help you, milady?” _Are you lost?_ was the underlying question.

Holly sighed. “Thank you kindly, but no.” She looked at the kitchen’s door expectantly. “Do you think I could maybe, go inside and spend some time there?”

The girl looked at her with an odd expression.

“I won’t get in anyone’s way,” Holly quickly added. “I promise.”

“Um, sure. Of course. Follow me, milady.” The girl turned around and held open the door so Holly could get inside. The kitchen was busy and full of conversation, laughter, and the banging and clanging of pots and pans.

“My name is Holly.”

“I know,” the girl smiled kindly. “You’ll be our queen one day.”

Holly’s affirmation was barely audible.

“I’m Traci,” she supplied. “Um, so, what would milady like to inspect?”

“I—I don’t really want to inspect anything, really. I just wanted…” Holly looked around. The familiar squabble and clink of the kitchen surrounded her.s While the oven back at her old home was mostly stone, since it was less expensive, but this one also sported steel. There were cauldrons filled with soup and stew and so forth, and a pig was being roasted on a spit. People all around her were hard at work, making sure the palace’s inhabitants would have meals ready for them. “I miss the people at home, my friends… We used to spend a lot of time in the kitchens. We actually _met_ there.” She laughed softly. Then she looked up at the other girl. “Do you think I could come back?”

“Did you want to leave, milady?”

“No, I meant… Do you think the cooks will mind if I were to be here, like, often?”

“Oh.” Traci needed to mull that over. “No,” she decided. “I don’t think that would be a problem, if it would please you to do so.”

“It would.” Holly smiled. But then a scent she recognised wafted to her nose, and she _liked_ baked potatoes, both the taste and the scent. But for some reason, today her digestive tract disagreed. “Excuse me.” She pressed a hand against her stomach. “I need to—I’m sorry. If you’ll excuse me, please.” The nausea had rapidly and completely overcome her. She stumbled out of the kitchen, more than one pair of concerned eyes following her.

Luckily, she reached the bathroom seconds before the contents of her stomach spilled out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love coming up with chapter titles! I don't think they ever tell what's about to happen.
> 
> Please leave your feedback :-)


	4. Secret passway (to your heart?)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> \- Gail sulking and creeping around like a pro  
> \- Holly has a stomach bug  
> \- Traci is a friend, she’s always been a good friend of mine. But lately something’s changed, it ain’t hard to define. Traci’s got herself a friend and I wanna make her mine.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> “accidentally make art of one another” trope: check

Gail was sulking about in her chambers. She laid sprawled out on her sofa, sipping from a glass of water and reading-but-not-reading a book. When she heard someone knock on her door, she threw the book aside and tiptoed to the door. She cautiously removed the iron piece in front of the loophole and peered through it. With a sigh of relief, she unlocked the door and let the other person in.

“She’s not really feeling well, Gail,” Traci said. “I’m a bit worried about her.”

Gail’s brow creased. “I’m not sure what I’m supposed to do about that. I can’t really go to her and be all…” She continued in a high-pitched voice. “ _‘Hey Holly, I’ve heard that you’re feeling a bit off, is there anything I can do to help’_ , can I?”

Traci rolled her eyes. “Not you, maybe. But _Steven_ can.”

Gail heaved a sigh. “Right. _Steven_ _can_.” She plopped down on the sofa, barely missing the book she had been holding before. Burying her face in her hands, she groaned. “How did I get in this mess, Traci?” She looked up at her friend. “Do you think I should have them blow the whole thing off?”

Traci shook her head and pushed the book aside so she could take a seat next to Gail.

“Why couldn’t you agree to marry the prince,” Gail whined.

Traci rolled her eyes. “Gail, you know I would do almost anything for you because I _love_ you.” Gail glared at her. “But not like _that_. So no, me marrying the prince is not something that is going to happen. Nor any other prince.”

Gail’s glare intensified. “Oh, you and your morals. Just wait until you do. Then I’ll rub it in your face for the rest of your life and ever after.”

Traci laughed. “Alright, Gail. I’m out. Lady Holly agreed to spend the rest of the afternoon with me. Just let her know you’re thinking about her, maybe?” She stood up and ruffled the other woman’s hair.

“ _Can’t do that_ , Traci,” Gail shouted after her. “You know that!”

Traci flipped her the bird before closing the door behind her. Gail just grinned after her.

  
\----------------

_She was absolutely beautiful_. Gail pinched the bridge of her nose and groaned. _What had she done?_

She had been sitting in the shadows, lurking about and overseeing the courtyard of the palace. That’s when she had spotted Holly – _a complete coincidence… ah well, who was she kidding?_ – with Traci, crossing the square with heavy-looking baskets in their hands. Gail had smiled at that. Who would have thought that her best friend and the soon-to-be-princess would become friends, let alone be doing mundane things like this?

When they were about to walk out of sight, Gail hopped off the balustrade she’d been hiding on. She pulled her cape tighter over her head to cover her face, hurried to another corner of the balustrade and squinted at the people below. _There they were_. Gail felt herself smile again. She had to admit she had taken a like to Holly already. _Was this a good or a bad thing? If the queen found out… What would the implications be for Holly, for the prince, for their marriage?_

  
\----------------

Gail knew all the secret passways the palace had to offer. When she was six, she had discovered there was a very narrow hallway in between the wall of the hallway and the throne room that lead from the most faraway corridor all the way to the kitchen. There was a small and steep spiral staircase that brought her all the way to the top of the castle. There was a hidden doorway in the hearth of her own chambers that took a very intricate pattern to be opened which emerged somewhere in lady Holly’s room – she wasn’t going to use _that_ one though – and there were several underground tunnels that she had mapped out in her head by the time she was ten. It pissed off the queen when she would suddenly appear out of nowhere, and in Gail’s eyes that was an added bonus. Gail liked to explore. By now, she knew everything there was to know about this castle, and she knew it like she knew the back of her own hand.

Needless to say, it wasn’t hard to follow the other women around. 

Stalkerish, yes. Hard, no. And it was worth it, watching them have fun together and hearing Holly's laugh, which made her heart kinda do a little jump in her chest.

She’d found herself a hidden spot somewhere near the ceiling of the kitchen. That’s how she saw Holly must still feel a little ill, for she pressed her hand against her stomach and grab the corner of a table to steady herself when she thought Traci wasn’t watching. _You should send her get-well wishes,_ Gail thought to herself. _No,_ Steven _should. She only had to make sure they’d be delivered to his betrothed_. For a few hours, she used the little hand chisel she’d brought and carved at a tiny piece of wood while observing the people below her.

And when she finished, she noticed the small wooden figure in her hand resembled Holly quite a lot.

\----------------

Gail felt she had gone crazy. The whole day long, she had been following Traci and Holly around, neglecting her own duties. If her mother found out – _when, more likely_ – she’d be in big trouble. But it was worth it, seeing the future princess open up to her best friend and them enjoying their day together. Gail felt sad she couldn’t participate, that Holly couldn’t get to know… _her_. Maybe in the future… To hope could do no harm, could it?

Gail hadn’t deemed it possible, but she suddenly realised she was falling in love with Holly, from afar.

 _She couldn’t let Holly marry the prince, not without her knowing who he really was, could she?_ But they were already too deep in their secrets. Every single one of them.

Someone turned a key in the lock and pushed open the door. “Oh, Gail. What are you doing in my room?”

Gail rolled her eyes. “What does it look like, Trace? I was waiting for you.”

Traci smiled at her. She locked her door again and fastened the bolt on the door as well.

“I hate that everything always has to be so clandestine,” Gail complained as Traci came to join her.

Traci nudged her. “I thought you liked showing off your stealth?”

“I can’t even give her those,” Gail huffed, gesturing at something on the table.

Traci peered at the package. “Get well soon,” she read aloud, with faked indignation. “Oh, so for this girl you’re arranging flowers. And poor me only got a kiss.”

Gail sagged a little bit more and crossed her arms over her chest. “I am sorry about that.”

“Yeah, I know. I just like teasing you about it.” She cut off Gail’s huff by poking her ribs. “You know I was very flattered. Still am. But Gail…”

“I know, I know,” she said sadly. “No princes. Definitely no princesses.”

Traci placed a comforting hand on Gail’s thigh and gave it a little squeeze. “Maybe in another lifetime.”

“Yeah,” Gail agreed sadly. “Maybe.”

Traci put her arms around her friend’s waist and gently laid her head on her shoulder.

“This isn’t really how I communicate,” Gail deadpanned, although her eyes gave away that the hug was more than welcome.

Traci squeezed her a little tighter. “Shut up, you grouch, and let me love you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love hearing people’s guesses about what’s going to happen. Tells me if I’m being too obvious or not obvious enough.


	5. The way to one’s heart is through the stomach (and then she pukes)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> a picknick  
> feelings?
> 
> it's not what you think, I swear

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back at work!

“Rumour has it you have been sick,” Steven more stated than asked her.

They were seated on a blanket in the garden, food spread out all around her. They brought an arrangement of bread rolls and pastries, six different kinds of cheese, four different kinds of meat and three different juices.

“I liked the flowers.”

“I’m glad.” Steven picked up one of the cheeses and sniffed it. He deemed it appropriate, carved a hole in his bread roll with his index finger and stuffed the cheese inside. “The kitchens’ smell can be… overwhelming, sometimes. I hope you feel better now.”

“Um, yes. Thank you. I feel a lot better now.” Holly shifted uncomfortably on the blanket.

Prince Steven placed her hand on top of hers. “No need to be nervous, milady. We’re just putting up a performance here, remember. No big deal.”

Holly frowned at his words. Earlier that day, he had come to her chambers to ask her to share a meal with him. He’d explained that they needed to convince the nobles roaming around the palace that they were just an ordinary young lovey-dovey couple. His words, not hers. The best way to do that, he had said, was to go to a public place, do something to express their love for each other and pretend to be completely oblivious to the world around them. She had been the one to suggest they’d feed each other tiny bits and pieces of their picknick. He had pursed his lips but then he had agreed and, in turn, had asked her for her permission to touch her hair and tuck it behind her ear. _Just in case. This is something that couples in love do, lady Holly._

“Now this frown,” he gestured at her face with his pointer finger and tutted, “is not helping our case. You need to _ooze_ _love_ for me.” Steven raised his eyebrow at her, looking very pleased with himself. He winked when she rolled her eyes at him and turned her frown into a smile.

\----------------

Someone once said that you could fall in love with another person after looking into their eyes for seven minutes straight. Holly didn’t know if that was true. She liked experiments and science but had never tried this out.

However, she felt more and more convinced that the theory was true. Steven and she had been pretending to be in love all afternoon, and there were moments she believed it herself. If the eyes were windows to one’s soul, Steven must have the prettiest. Today she had gotten to know him a bit better. She learned a lot about him. He hadn’t been the most talkative before, but now that they were alone, his mouth never stopped moving. He told her he liked playing games with his friends while talking and drinking. He spoke about his friendship with Ollie, how the man had been more of a parent to him than is own mother. He told her about how he met and befriended Chris and Dov, when he was still a little kid, small for his age, and he had intervened in a fight between them and an older boy from the city. Scrawny little Steven had won, and they’d been friends ever since. He admitted that at first when Dov and Chloe had been seeing each other, the girl had irked him but now he liked her chatter, and Holly had agreed, and Steven had threatened to kill her if she ever told anyone that he said this. He told her about Traci, and Holly had noticed that he spoke more fondly of her and Oliver than about anyone else. He had told her everything there was to know about him, and she’d inhaled the information as if it were the air she breathed.

She wasn’t immune to his looks either. He was handsome, with prominent cheekbones and bright blue eyes, and the palest skin that made Holly ache to reach out to and touch it. His appearance reminded her of her best friend’s back at her old home, except that he was leaner, softer and more… refined? Maybe. When he playfully darted behind trees and tried to challenge her to a game of hide and seek, he moved with a souplesse she hadn’t seen in any man before. She’d refused, stating that her dress would not survive it, and he had continued strutting around with a little swagger in his hips. His frame was thin, and Holly had noticed that he always wore clothing that was loose around his shoulders and his chest. His pants, however, were always tight, always complementing his bum. _A nice bum. Stop it, Holly!_

But in short, Steven was both handsome and nice. Nicer than she’d expected him to be. And today, he had been pleasant company during their picknick and the walk around the lake they’d taken after. The sun was shining and made the trees cast their shadow upon them. Steven had expressed his love-hate relationship with the sun, stating that he enjoyed the warmth but that his only skin colours were see-through white and lobster red. Holly had laughed at his statement and dared him to come out in the sun with her, which he refused. She’d really, really enjoyed the banter. She would tease him and challenge him, and he would always rebuff her with a snarky comment, however the bite she’d heard him use towards other people was always absent when he spoke with her.

And Holly had a feeling that she’d started to fall for him.

\----------------

They’d taken a seat near the lake and were enjoying the view. The sun was setting and casted an array of colours over the water. A soft, warm breeze rippled through their clothes. Stunning sights, a charming prince and nice weather. What more could a girl ask for? Holly had to admit it was all very romantic.

“Your smile is stunning, honestly.” Steven leaned in and reached out his hand towards her. She looked at him questioningly. “Don’t worry, milady. I’m just doing as we discussed before.” His fingers – _warm_ , she noticed, _and almost caring_ – carefully touched her hair and gently tucked it behind her ear. He let his hand rest against her cheek and Holly felt herself leaning into it.

She chalked up the warm fuzziness she felt to the fact that her stomach was full, and she felt comfortable and lazy. She closed her eyes and felt a small sigh escape.

“Do you want to lay down? You look a bit tired.” His concern touched her. The prince was not as aloof and withdrawn as he first seemed. She was glad.

Holly looked at their surroundings. “I didn’t bring a pillow, nor an extra blanket to use as one.”

He gestured at his lap. “If I can be of service…?”

Holly gave him a lopsided smile. “Oh my, my prince,” she pretended to swoon. “You’re really giving this your all, aren’t you?” she laughed. But she agreed and shuffled around until she could lay her head in his lap.

He softly stroked her hair until she fell asleep. She didn’t hear him mutter about her having no idea, no idea at all.

\----------------

Holly was woken up by voices softly talking over her head. Prince Steven was still running his fingers through her hair, and like a cat, she leaned into his touch. For a short time, Holly allowed herself to revel into the feeling.

“I think she’s awake,” she heard Traci say.

“I think so, too.” The fingers stopped their movement. Holly missed it immediately.

Holly had never thought she could develop such feelings for him. But Steven proved to be charming, witty and snarky in a made that made her smile. Holly realised that she felt content around him. She might not be in love him, not yet at least, but she loved everything about him.

“It’s time for me to leave,” Traci said. “Hi Holly, bye Holly. Bye Steven.”

They watched her leave, Holly’s eyes still heavy with sleep.

Steven picked at his nails and looked at her from under his eyelashes. “So, lady Holly. We should get back to the palace as well.” And then he gazed openly at her. “I hope you enjoyed today. If I hadn’t asked you to marry me already, this would have been the perfect time to do so, don’t you think?” he mused.

“Actually, you haven’t asked me. My stepmother accepted on my behalf.” It came out more harshly than she intended, and she saw Steven flinch.

“I’m sorry.” His shoulders sagged and he looked forlorn for a minute. Then he reached out and took her hand in his, intertwining their fingers. “But… If I were to ask, would you still accept? Would you marry me?”

Her pulse started racing but Holly did her best to play it cool. “Sure,” she shrugged. “I could do worse.”

The prince looked over at her with a faint look of surprise. And then he smiled. Holly could confirm that this was the first time she had seen him smile and it threw her off balance. Then she realised that the prince was just putting up a show for the nobles and servants around her, and it saddened her.

He moved over to sit as close to her as he possibly could, gently cupped her face and turned her head towards him. “Would it be okay if I kissed you now?”

Holly nodded. But there that feeling in her gut was again. Was it fear? Had she eaten something bad?

Steven dropped his hand and shuffled a bit backwards. “Are you okay?” His sincere concern didn’t escape her.

She swallowed and nodded. “Just a mild case of heartburn.”

He hummed doubtfully but didn’t press. “Maybe you’re still a bit ill. Let’s get you back to your chambers.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> give me your feedback plz, I'm curious!


	6. She is expecting (something)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> wine wine wine  
> and other expectations

Earlier that day, there had been a banquet with the royal family and the nobles. It was the formal introducement of Holly to them. Steven had mentioned that he had invited his friends as well, so that she would know some people and hopefully feel more at ease. She was happy to hear that, as she hadn’t seen them in the two weeks she had resided in the palace. It suddenly hit her that she had missed them more than she had realised.

They’d all been dressed to the nines. Fancy dresses, fancy costumes, their best boots, even some jewellery made its appearance. Chloe and Traci had offered to help her get ready, which she had eagerly accepted. After all, a little help tying her corset would make her bosom pop. And maybe someone’s eyes too, as an added bonus.

There had been music, laughter, a little dancing and a lot of stolen glances. Holly was never one to seek out the spotlights, but she revelled in the love and care her newfound friends offered her.

After what was definitely the longest banquet she had ever attended, Steven announced that he was pleased to announce that the nobles had expressed their approval of their marriage. Dov and Chris had cheered and insisted they’d go to a pub to celebrate.

And that’s how they’d ended up here.

\----------------

“He’s not weak, per say,” Dov drunkenly slurred. “He’s just… He’s… Maybe a little menacing, but not in a ‘I will tear your head off’ kind of way. Although, maybe? I don’t know.” He lolled his head around. “I feel dizzy.”

Chloe took away his cup and put it as far away from him as she could reach. “I think you’ve had enough.”

“Thank you.” Steven was glaring at them from his seat, arms crossed over his chest. If looks could kill Dov would have been six feet under already. “I must say that I’m not enjoying hearing my so-called friend offend me like this in front of my future wife and my friends.”

“I can vouch for you being very, very, very strong,” Chris offered. His eyes were droopy, and he was leaning heavily on the table to prevent himself to fall over. He reached out a wobbly hand tried to squeeze Steven’s upper arm. “Muscly and handsome. He’s quite a catch, Holly,” he said solemnly.

Steven’s eyes turned big as saucers. “I think you should be cut off too, Chris.” He gently pried his friend’s fingers loose and pushed his arms away.

The three girls watched the scene with glee. “You’d think it’d be us swooning over the prince, and not our men,” Chloe complained. “What has gotten into them?”

Holly studied the label on the bottle in front of them. “Since they’re the only ones who drank from this bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon, I suspect.”

Traci burst out laughing. She swatted at Holly’s arm. “I’m so glad that you’re here. I mean it. I like you.”

“Thanks.” Holly gave her her trademark lopsided smile. “I’m glad too. I like you. Both of you.” She wrapped her arms around the other women and pulled them close.

“Yeah, and you know,” Chloe whispered conspiratorially. “I think you’re like, actually _good_ for our dear friend the prince. Y’know.”

Holly raised an eyebrow at her. “O-kay?”

Chloe babbled on. “He’s been way more pleasant, less broody, more… shiny.”

“You think the prince is shiny?” Traci frowned. “Are we talking about the same man?”

“Hey!” Steven glared at them. “I can _hear_ you, you know.”

Chloe waved him off. “I know you can. Don’t care.”

Steven huffed in indignation.

Chloe winked at him. “You’ve been sitting here all evening, pretending that you have the worst time of your life. I know you’re not. I know you’re having fun! I’ve seen you suppress your smile. I’ve seen you ogle Holly.”

Holly turned scarlet. “Chloe!” she hissed.

Chloe waved her off too. “Oh, you. Don’t pretend you don’t like it.”

Holly buried her face in her hands. “Chloe!”

“Lay off of her.” Traci reached around Holly to gently shove Chloe away. Holly gave her a grateful smile which disappeared as Traci teasingly continued. “They’re young and in love. Leave them be.”

Steven surprised everyone by his next confession. “Well, you’re not wrong.” He smiled at Holly. “I like her heaps.” He then smiled sweetly at the group. “I like her more than I like any of you.”

“’s not nice,” Dov protested. He looked like a kicked puppy “We’re always so, so, so, so nice to you… and now you say this?”

Steven rolled his eyes at him. “Yes, bird-man. And don’t think I don’t mean it.”

“But why?” he whined.

“Let’s see.” Steven started counting on his fingers. “For once, she has a nicer laugh than you. Secondly, she’s smarter. Thirdly, she’s the loveliest. And to top it off, she can actually stand me.”

“I can stand you.”

“Are you just going to ignore everything else I said?”

“Yes!”

“Well, stop it.”

“No!”

Steven pinched the bridge of his nose. “Come on, Dov. Just accept that I like Holly better than you. Let’s go to sleep. I bet you can use it.”

“Don’t wanna.”

Steven sighed. He stood up and approached his friend, coaxing him into getting up. Dov almost lost his footing. Steven rolled his eyes. “If I hear you saying I’m a wuss like you one more time, I swear to God,” he muttered under his breath. He bent down, put Dov’s arm around his own neck and heaved him on his shoulder. Dov took the opportunity to hug him upside down. Steven swatted his arms away. “Let’s go, Chris. Ladies, we’re off to bed. These boys can use some sleep. I’ll have them apologise in the morning.”

“That was impressive,” Holly confessed after the men had left.

“Right?” Chloe immediately agreed. “I’m so glad we all got to hang out today!”

“Yeah,” Holly smiled. Traci hummed in agreement. “Me too.”

\----------------

It was confusing to say the least. When she was young, Holly’s fantasies had always starred girls and it hadn’t ever crossed her mind that this wasn’t the case for other girls her age. When she grew older, the people she dreamt about did too, and her fantasies grew inherently more… explicit, so to say. She’d overheard some of her male friends discussing their experiences with women and hadn’t realised that other _women_ didn’t share them. Other women dreamt of men, they voiced fantasies of _male_ heroes, of _male_ love interests, of _male_ bodies pressed against theirs and making them feel things. Holly never had.

But now there was prince Steven, with his blonde hair and his snippy remarks. Holly was ninety-nine percent sure that Steven did like her, and ninety-one percent that he was attracted to her. After all, he was mostly kind to her while he was very snide towards other people. He came to her aid whenever she needed it but gave her the space to be her own person. He was often distant, but the way he looked at her… It reminded her of the way she used to look at her first crush. As if she, Holly, was something he badly wanted but just out of his reach, although she certainly wasn’t. She’d noticed the way his eyes roamed her body sometimes and how his eyes would linger on her when they had dinner with the other royals and nobles. It was more often than she would consider a coincidence.

As she sat back in the bathtub and enjoyed the hotness of the water, she felt her muscles relax and let her mind wander further. She had a couple of fantasies her mind had created throughout the years. Soon her hands would wander under the water, fingertips would explore the map of her body. They always knew at which places to linger and soon enough her stimulated skin would ache for release. Her touch would elicit goose bumps and sighs and she would always wish for the protagonist in her fantasies to be real. But lately their faces tended to get replaced by the prince’s. It confused her tremendously.

 _This wasn’t working_. Holly stopped her ministrations and sank beneath the water. She stayed submerged for a moment before heaving herself out of the bath.

After her bath, she found herself very annoyed in her bedroom. She was standing before her mirror and looked at her reflection. She sighed. She wasn’t vain, never had been, but right now she felt like she needed to get it together and get back in shape. She knew she was being melodramatic, and she had been craving cheese and cookies at the oddest times, so it was all her own fault. She knew that. But everything just felt like too much today and she hated it.

And now her favourite dress didn’t fit anymore.

She put her dress aside and picked out another one to wear. At times like these she did consider asking a servant to help her get dressed. But back at home, she’d done it herself as well. So why bother?

Someone knocked and entered her chambers without waiting for her reply.

“Are you decent?”

She quickly “I am, you can come in.”

“Hi,” Steven said. “I was hoping we could go over the marriage arrangements.” He looked at Holly struggling with her dress. “Let me help.” He moved closer and closed the buttons on the back of her dress for her. He put his hand on her bare shoulder. “All done.”

“Thank you.” Holly turned around. “What did you want to discuss?”

“Um,” Steven said, glancing at Holly’s chest before realising what he was doing. He blinked and blushed. “The kind of dress you want. Flowers, food, guest arrangements. I don’t know, honestly. I’ve never been in this position before.”

“Steven… I know I’ve asked this before.” He frowned. She took a deep breath. If she wanted an answer, she had to ask now. “But why me? Why not someone else… someone more suitable?”

His brow furrowed. “Are you—Are you having second thoughts? We can still call it off… I just thought—You and I are in the same boat. I thought the crushing weight of our responsibilities  might be easier to carry if we combine our strength and help each other.”

“So you’ve said. But I have no idea what that means,” she pushed. “I want to understand. I don’t know what you want from me.”

Steven averted his eyes and fixed his gaze at a point somewhere to his left. Holly knew that there was nothing there worth watching. He was avoiding her. “Like I’ve said before,” he started. “The nobles want me to get married. I need an heir.”

“Anyone could give you that. There are more suitable candidates.”

Steven was still not looking at her. “I noticed you have morning sickness.”

Holly looked up at him. He had a strange look on his face as he continued. “I guess there is no harm in raising it as my own.” Holly felt herself turn cold. “How far are you? I was thinking maybe a month or two? I think it shouldn’t be too suspicious for the people.”

She didn’t hear anything else he said. _Oh my god._ She felt her heartbeat speed up. _How did I not realise? How did I let this happen?_ She felt dizzy, the world turning around her.

“Holly?” Steven’s concerned voice penetrated through her foggy thoughts. He was holding her and leading her to sit on the floor. “I think you’re having a panic attack.”

_What am I going to do?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good thing Holly didn't drink eh?
> 
> I had planned out a more or less acceptable explanation for the pregnancy. I hope it's alright bc although I have discussed this with several friends, we cannot agree on which course I should take. I don't want to give you the creeps either.  
> Give me your opinion plz. What would be acceptable?


	7. ...? Samantha?!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It starts with Gail,  
> and it ends with Gail.

“I’ve been lying to her, Traci.”

“I know.”

“I almost went up to her to tell her yesterday. But I—I couldn’t. She would never forgive me.”

“You don’t know that. I bet she’d like you, the real you. After all, she likes Steve too.”

“Yeah, but Steven is a boy,” she sulked.

Her comment made Traci chuckle. “Right.” She returned to her task of kneading bread. “Aren’t you going to help?”

“Nah.” Gail pulled the tray with freshly baked cookies closer and put one in her mouth. “But I’ll gladly help you make some room in this kitchen.”

Traci rolled her eyes at her. “Yeah, that’s what I thought.”

“I wish she got to know _me_.”

“I know.” Traci continued rolling the dough.

“I wish my mother would be proud of _me_.”

Traci looked at her pityingly. “Oh, Gail.”

“She wanted a son so badly, Trace, you know.” Gail uncrossed her legs and leaned back against the wall. She stared at the ceiling. “And she’d do anything for that, and I-I could not have said no, could I? And now we’re here in this mess… With no way to get out of it. She wanted a son and now she’s got me… And Holly… I’m sure I could make her happy, and she could make me happy, but I can never let her in.”

Traci leaned over and turned Gail’s face towards her. “Listen to me, Gail. Everyone deserves happiness, Gail, even you.”

Gail looked away. “I wish you were right,” she said in a small voice.

“I am.”

“I gotta tell her.”

“If you want to,” Traci agreed.

“She’ll think I’m a creep.”

“I’m sure she won’t.”

“You don’t know that!”

“You’re right. I don’t,” Traci agreed. “But I doubt it.” A sound behind them made her turn around. “Hey, Holly! Speaking of the devil. What are you doing here? Come join us!”

But when Traci turned back to face Gail, the woman was gone. Traci pursed her lips and internally rolled her eyes. _For fuck’s sake, Gail!_

Holly approached her. “Us? Were you talking to someone? Did I scare them away? I’m sorry!”

“Nah,” Traci waved her concerns away. “It’s nothing. Take a seat.”

Holly watched the scene. “You’re baking? Can I help?”

Traci laughed. _“_ Yeah, sure. My last visitor wasn’t as helpful. Grab an apron, wash your hands and I’ll find something for you to do.”

Traci noticed Holly was fidgeting and casting glances at her. She decided to have a little fun, pretend she didn’t notice and let the girl simmer for a while before asking anything. After working in silence for a little, Holly finally pushed away the dough in front of her and turned to Traci.

“Traci?”

She hummed, letting Holly know she was listening, and she could continue.

“”I think—” Holly heaved a sigh. “I think I’m in trouble.”

Traci frowned. “How so?”

“I think I like Steven.”

“Do you now?”

Holly spoke quietly. “Yeah.”

“Isn’t that a good thing? I mean, you’ll be married soon.”

“Yeah, but…” Holly sighed. “Have you noticed he keeps touching and hugging all of you? He’s never ever given me a hug. He barely touches me.”

“Holly, you know each other for a few weeks. Steven and the rest of the gang go way back, we’ve known each other since we were children. Just give it a little time. You like each other after such a small amount of time. I’m sure you’ll grow to love each other.”

“I think I already do.” Her voice was small, and she was hunched over the tabletop.

“Holly…” Traci placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. “I’m sure it’ll be alright. He likes you too. He’s just not that touchy, at first. You’ll get there.” _If only Gail would man up – hah – and_ tell _Holly, then maybe…_

Her thoughts were interrupted by another sigh.

“Maybe you need to go talk to him?” she suggested. “It might just give you new insights.”

“Yeah, maybe you’re right.” Holly frowned a little. “He wanted to discuss marriage arrangements anyway.”

“Yeah!” Traci smiled. “The date’s coming up. Soon you’ll officially be our new power couple.”

“Only a few days left, yeah.”

“Say that with a little more enthusiasm and I might almost believe you’re looking forward to it.”

Holly offered her a watery smile. “I am. Honestly. I just… I always thought I’d feel closer to the one I lo—my spouse. But he keeps pulling away and I don’t know what I’ve been doing wrong. He found out—He knows a big secret and isn’t even bothered by it.”

“See? He likes you for who you are. Don’t worry too much about it. It will all be fine. Wanna bet?”

“Twenty silver coins,” Holly joked.

“Only twenty,” Traci tutted. “I’d wager a hundred.”

“I don’t even have a hundred.”

“Neither do I.” Traci shrugged. “Twenty it is.”

“Right.”

\----------------

When Holly entered Steven’s study, he didn’t seem to take notice of her presence at first.

Holly cleared her throat. “Steven?”

“Oh!” He looked genuinely surprised to see her. “Hey. Holly. Hi. How are you?”

 _He seems nervous. I wonder why. He was so composed last night._ “I’m good, thank you. I—I wanted to talk you about the seating arrangements, like you asked.”

“Oh, sure.” Steve cleared the table. Or rather, he quickly pushed aside all the maps and notes and papers he had been working on so that his desk was empty for them to work at. He took a blank piece of paper and gestured for Holly to take a seat.

“I was thinking about putting Ollie and Noelle close to us. I could use his support,” he said while drawing the lay-out of the dinner hall. They weren’t sitting too close to each other, so Holly had to lean over and peered at it. “Oliver has always kind of been like a father to me. More so than my real parents. He likes me for who I am and not because I’m supposed to be this special prince.” Steven’s face contorted the tiniest bit. “So I’m going to seat him here,” he pointed at a seat close to them and hummed. “Traci should be near you. I know you like her. Maybe Chloe too?” He looked at her questioningly. “I mean, if her constant babbling gets on your nerves too much, I could also put her…” His pencil hovered over the map. “…here.” He pointed at the far end of the room and grinned at Holly.

Holly snickered. “No, I like her, actually.”

“You’re good at pretending,” he remarked offhandedly.

Holly froze.

Steve noticed immediately. “I’m sorry! I didn’t mean it like that!” He rose from his chair, sliding it backwards as he stood and almost toppling it over. He grabbed Holly’s hand and squeezed it. “I didn’t mean it like that,” he repeated, more calmly. “I’m sorry.”

Holly avoided his eyes. “We should get back to the arrangements.”

“Holly…” Steve hesitated. “I meant it before, when I said I would raise the child as my own. I think you would make a great mother. My parents were never the loving nor supporting types. I believe you are kind and smart and will shower the child with love… and I really would like to be a part of that.”

“I—I know that type of parent.” Holly pulled her hand away from him and wrung her hands together. “My father was always my biggest supporter, my best friend. He was away often, but whenever he was home, he’d make sure to spend as much time with me as possible. My stepmother on the other hand..” Holly swallowed thickly. She wiped her brow and slouched a bit. “My stepmother has never been my biggest fan. I think she always disliked me because my dad put my needs before their own. Not that I ever asked him to.”

“She sounds like a witch.”

Holly laughed without joy. “Yeah. She’s the one who agreed on marrying me off. I should have expected it but it still stung.” She frowned at Steven. “I never asked… How did this come to be? The marriage agreement.”

“Um.” Steve scratched the back of his head and stared at a scratch on the wooden table. “I heard… rumours. I have a friend who lives close to your old home, and they heard about your mother looking for suitors. But they heard about another rumour too so they came to me as fast as they could because they knew about, um, my situation. Needing to wed and all. I didn’t know about the child then.” He blushed. “I only suspected after you felt so sick here, and I noticed the baby bump. So they came to me and meanwhile sent a message to your stepmother to propose on my behalf and intercept any other suitors…”

“Which rumour?”

Steve kept avoiding her gaze. “Yeah. About, um, a boy? And I knew that if word got out your reputation would be ruined forever so I put in the marriage contract that no one can spread any more rumours.”

“So as not to ruin _your_ reputation?”

“No.” Steve was adamant. “I don’t care about that. Well, I do. But I was worried about you. I… I think I understand how you must have felt. All alone and vulnerable and…” He sighed sadly.”I didn’t want anyone else to feel like that.”

“Oh.”

“I don’t care about the boy.”

“I do,” Holly spoke softly. “He was my best friend and I asked him to—I asked _him_. He shouldn’t have been punished. But somehow my stepmother found out and she…” She fell silent, unable to find the right words.

“You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to. It’s fine. I understand.”

“I just wanted to feel _normal_.”

“I haven’t noticed anything abnormal about you, Holly. Maybe your incessant potential to see good in people. Even in me. But that’s a good thing.”

Sentences fell from Holly’s mouth in quick succession. “I asked _him_ , and she found out somehow and they came into my chambers and dragged him away, locked me up and next thing I know your guard is taking me here. And that’s it? They dragged him out of my bed and took him somewhere and it’s all because I asked him something I shouldn’t have been asking and I don’t even know if he’s okay.”

“We could find out,” Steve offered. “I could send someone for him. I could ask my friend to check up on him. You’re right. He doesn’t have to be punished for this. Being away from you would be punishment enough.”

“Har, har.” Holly rolled her eyes. “But… You’re serious? You’re willing to send someone to check up on him?”

Steve nodded.

“Maybe bring him here?” she added in a small voice.

“Yeah, sure. We can try. Let’s focus on finding him first. What’s his name?”

“Sven.”

Steve scribbled his name down on a small piece of paper and pocketed it. “Alright. Let’s focus on finding your friend.”

\----------------

She was having a panic attack. She was sure of it. Her heartbeat pounded in her ears, she was sweating, she felt dizzy, she felt too hot.

She’d used the secret passway from her own chamber to Holly’s. But instead of entering, she just stood there, frozen. Her hand was on the switch that would open the door in front of her and expose her to the object of her affection, but she couldn’t. She really couldn’t. There was too much at stake. She should wait until after the wedding. Holly deserved to know _everything._ After all, she’d revealed her own secret too.

Gail made a promise to herself to tell her.

And with that, she turned around and creeped back to her own room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next up: the wedding (that is, if my mind doesn't wander and I don't make up something else)
> 
> Thumbs up for the ones that know where '...? Samantha?!" came from. I haven't even seen that movie.
> 
> Thank you for the comments and kudos y'all! I hope I won't be making this too weird. But you'll see!


	8. Titbits

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A big reveal!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes I believe I'm being very funny with the title of this chapter. 
> 
> As per homenum's suggestion, discoveries first and weddings after.   
> This is one of the first chapters I wrote, actually. Enjoy!

After living in the castle for about three weeks, Holly liked to believe started to find her way around more easily. However, today she managed to get lost. She had tried to take a shortcut from the library to her chambers, but she had been daydreaming. She must have miscounted the turn she had to take. And by the time she realised she wasn’t where she was supposed to be, it was too late. She’d tried to return on her steps but that had only made it worse. She was completely disoriented. All the doors she tried had been locked and there wasn’t a single window to look out from, so she couldn’t even try to orient herself by looking at the gardens or the courtyard.

That is how she ended up in a wing of the palace she had never set foot in before. She remembered bad dreams where someone turned corner after corner, never-ending and paralysing. Getting lost like this felt similar. She felt her panic rise, her heartbeat thumping in her ears with increasing loudness. Holly couldn’t take it anymore. She was feeling light-headed and faint, and she was getting out of breath. She decided to try the next door and yanked the latch and after manhandling the lock, she managed to get inside the room. It was deserted and, by the looks of it, had been that way for quite some time. There were white sheets covering the furniture and the paintings on the wall. Where the hallways had been relatively clean and dust free, there was a thick layer of dust covering the floors and the sheets. When she turned around to look at the door, she could see her own footsteps on the floor.

Her curiosity overcame her fear and she walked over to one of the paintings on the wall, gently lifting the sheet that covered it. It was a painting of the king and the queen, looking quite a few years younger and each holding a toddler. Holly furrowed her brow in confusion. She walked over to the next painting and uncovered that one too. This one pictured the king on his horse, preparing for a hunt. The one after that was a portrait of the two toddlers’ faces. They looked the same age and guessing by their features, they were twins. But who were they? Holly uncovered painting after painting until the timeline became clearer. The ones on the left pictured only of the king and the queen. Then followed a pregnant queen, two newborn babies, lots of family portraits and then they just stopped. There was one propped against the wall, not even hung yet, of one of the children, quite a few years later than the previous ones. Looking at this one, Holly realised that this must be the prince when he was about six or seven years old. But where had his twin gone?

Holly found out when she searched the rooms for cues and finally landed on a yellowed piece of paper hidden somewhere in a drawer. When she read it, she felt her blood turn cold. She quickly stuffed it back in the drawer and covered the furniture and the paintings again. She walked out of the room and softly clicked the door shut behind her. She heaved a deep breath. _Why didn’t anyone tell her?_

\----------------

Steve was fighting on the practice field. By the looks of it, he had been at it quite some time. So had his sparring partner. Holly recognized him even before he turned around. The tall, broad-shouldered and dark-haired man couldn’t have been anyone other than Chris.

When she neared the sparring duo, she noticed Dov and Chloe and a woman she hadn’t seen before cheering them on. They were leaning forward against the wooden fence that surrounded the field. It wasn’t clear if they were rooting for one of the men or both of them. But given that Chloe cheered every single time one of them got a hit in, Holly assumed the latter.

Steve wiped his damp hair away from his forehead. He was sweating profusely. The dampness had turned his dark blue shirt almost black. Chris had long foregone his shirt, his skin glistering with moisture in the sun. They were both landing solid hits and Holly was happy that they were at least wearing some armour. It was only leather, but it was enough to soften the blow of their wooden swords so that their hits wouldn’t injure them. They swung their swords with practiced ease. Holly followed their movements as she walked over to the little group gathered at the sideline. Steve was fast and light-footed, and ended up driving Chris more and more backwards.

When Steve finally spotted Holly, he pushed his hair back again and tried to calm down his breathing. His chest was heaving, and he was clearly on the border of exhaustion. He made a gesture to Chris that indicated they would be taking a break and cautiously made his way over to Holly.

“Hey, we couldn’t find you earlier. Where were you?” Concern was obvious in his voice, but Holly didn’t have the time nor desire to have this conversation before she could ask about the nursery.

“I need to talk to you. It’s important.”

Steve looked startled but his expression quickly turned into a frown. “Alright, just let me finish this round and I’ll be there.”

“I know you’re a twin, Steve,” Holly shouted after him. “I found your old nursery.”

Steve was startled and let his guard down for a split second. He didn’t see Chris’ blow coming until it was too late. He managed to bend his shoulder backwards and avoid the worst of it, but the wooden sword still hit him full on on his shoulder and he cried out in pain. His own sword fell out of his hand and he dropped to his knees. Chris threw his sword aside and rushed towards his friend. He placed a comforting hand on Steve’s shoulder, but the prince flinched away from him.

“I’m going to my room and check if it needs to be bandaged.” Steve’s skin colour was ashen. Chris moved to come with him, but Steve stopped him. “I’ll be fine, thank you. I can handle this on my own.”

He didn’t notice Holly’s eyes worriedly following his retreating form, guilt clearly as day on her face, nor her following after him to check up on him after only half a minute.

\----------------

“I am sorry for what I said, I didn’t mean to—” She halted mid-sentence.

Steve froze, his back turned to Holly. He had been in the middle of taking his clothes off and pulling his shirt over his head. He tried to put it back on, but his shoulder hurt a lot and the garment was all twisted up, so he didn’t succeed.

Holly stared at his back. His pale skin looked smooth and soft and his shoulders were so slender. His hips almost feminine… _Almost?_ And his chest must have been bound, she could still see the angry marks of it marking his skin.

Then the realisation hit her.

His smooth face, the pitch of his voice, the fact he never wanted to hug her.

Steve yanked his shirt up and held it against his chest, trying to cover it up as best as he could. His face was contorted in pain because of his sore shoulder. Holly saw the bruise appear already. He took a step back, trying to hide behind his chamber screen. He almost tripped on his vest and gave up, choosing to stand still and get it over with. His shoulders sagged and he bowed his head in defeat.

Holly cautiously took a step forward, and another one. One after another, until she stood right in front of him and cautiously reached for his shirt.

He backed away, trying to avoid her touch.

“Please…?” she asked softly. “Please, let me?”

His pleading eyes almost made her backtrack from what she was about to do. But she had to know. She reached out again, slowly peeled his shirt out of his hands and gasped as the soft pale skin underneath was revealed.

The shirt dropped to the floor. Holly’s brown eyes darted up from the bare chest in front of her and found fearful pale blue ones.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yes, boobs.


	9. Exposed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> throw-back to the past

_Elaine was devastated. Her son was missing after his carriage had got off the road, likely dead. No toddler could survive alone in the woods for four days. If only it hadn’t taken them that long to locate the carriage…_

_Her only son! He was the only heir to the throne as well. And she knew that she was unable to fall pregnant again, she was barren after the complications of her pregnancy with the twins. If it had been only Steven, maybe she wouldn’t have been bedridden for so long, maybe she wouldn’t have lost so much blood during the delivery. But alas, instead of one child she had two at once. And it would never be more than two._

_There was no heir to the throne anymore. They did not have any family on Bill’s side, with him being the only child of an only child… What were they supposed to do? Would Bill find himself another wife to provide an heir with? Would she be cast aside, evicted from the palace? She must prevent this, but how?_

_Then the idea dawned on her. She looked at her daughter, little Gail. Always so eager to please her mother and father and make everyone around her happy. In her worst moments, Elaine had to admit that she loathed the child. Why was she the one to survive? Why couldn’t it have been Steve, her precious boy?_

_Elaine knew she would be able to pull this off. The gears in her head had started turning, and with her being an intelligent, albeit shrewd woman, she envisioned the whole plan within seconds. She could mould Gail into being the perfect heir to the throne._

_Elaine smiled at her daughter. “Gail, darling. I know what could make me happy. Would you like to become the new prince?”_

_Gail didn’t know what her mother’s question encompassed. She didn’t realise how her life would be upside down. She wouldn’t own her own name anymore. She would have to hide and use disguises for the rest of her life. She would never be completely honest. She didn’t know yet how this would affect her, how the witty, happy, little girl would become aloof and biting as to not let other people get too close._

_Little Gail didn’t know. She just wanted her mother’s grief go away. She would do anything to make that happen._

_So she said yes._

\----------------

“Are you not angry?”

“Are you angry?” She sighed. “I shouldn’t have removed your shirt. I’m sorry.”

“I’m… I’m confused,” Steve, he, she admitted. It _was_ confusing.

“I did suspect something was up, you know.” She stood up from the bed and paced around the room. “Before I discovered your old nursery. First of all, your voice isn’t very low.”

Steve (- _Steve_? _No, Steve’s_ sister-) grinned. “It’s not, is it.”

“No, it definitely isn’t. Second of all, you’re way slenderer than all your male relatives. Even some female ones.”

A shrug was the only response to that statement.

“And men don’t have breast. They bulge elsewhere.”

At that, former-Steve laughed heartily. “Coarse language for a princess, don’t you think?”

“You did kind of lie to me.”

“So did you. I was betrothed to a virgin bride, so your stepmother assured me,” not-Steve said, looking up. “But then again, I knew what had truly happened beforehand.”

Holly cast her gaze to the floor.

“Hey, now that both of our secrets are out, do you think you can tell me more about yours? I didn’t dare ask more before, I didn’t want to intrude. But I admit I’m curious about the baby’s real father.”

“I thought you said _you_ were,” Holly smiled cautiously.

“Well obviously, since I’m a very virile man,” she gestured at herself and grimaced, leaning backwards in her chair.

“I don’t know your whole secret though, do I?”

“What do you mean?”

“I know now that you are Steven’s twin sister and I assume you were raised as a boy to take his place. But you’re-you’re this kind and beautiful woman, and I still don’t know your real name.”

“Oh.” She seemed to need to think that over. “I’ve been going by Steve for so long that I sometimes forget I had another name too. It’s Gail.”

“Have.”

Gail shot her a questioning look.

“You have another name. Your real name. I like it. It’s pretty.”

“Yeah. Sure.” Gail frowned. “But… didn’t the article you found in the nursery tell you my real name?”

“No, I only read the first line. It broke my heart, reading that the royal twins had been in an accident and that the king and queen were devastated to announce the death of their child… I couldn’t bear to read further.”

“It was hard on all of us. I didn’t realise it at the time, since I was so young. But it cost us a lot; a brother, a son. I often wish it had been me who died.”

“Don’t say that. I’m sorry you lost your brother, but you’re a person too. You’re valid. You’re special, precious, you’re _worthy_. I am honoured to have met you, to be able to know you, to have you in my life.”

Gail blushed and tried to change the subject. “Right. So, let’s have it out with your secret. Tell me about Sven.”

And so Holly told Gail the whole story. About how as a child, she befriended most of the castle’s staff and their children. How she made friends with Sven, the cook’s son. How she felt so abnormal when all the fellow princes and princesses got excited about their first kiss, their first partner, their first sexual encounter. How she had tried in vain to be like them for years. How she had convinced Sven to show her after her father had died. How she had asked him to show her how to feel this way as well. How he had relented, since he had always had a weak spot for her, and how her stepmother had found out and had punished him for it. How she had punished them both. How scared she was for him as she hadn’t seen him after they had manhandled him out of her bed and straight into prison. She didn’t even know if he was still alive.

“So… He really was only your friend? Nothing more?”

“Yeah.” Holly fell silent for a while. “I haven’t—I haven’t really felt about any boy like that before.”

The surprise was evident in her voice. “You haven’t?”

“No. That’s why I—That’s why I convinced him to, um, sleep with me. Because with my father gone I wanted to be normal. I had hoped him and I being… _together_ like that, that it would make me feel something.”

Gail nodded softly. “Did it?”

Holly sighed. “No.” She looked up at Gail, who was glancing at her. “Have you ever slept with somebody?” she asked suddenly.

Gail looked startled. “Um. No? No! I—I—I’m supposed to be a _boy_ , Holly. I could never.”

“Are you going to tell me you haven’t even kissed anyone then?” Holly asked suspiciously.

“I have,” Gail admitted. “My best friend. I kissed her but she already found out I’m a girl and, even though she was very kind about it, she told me in no uncertain terms that she didn’t want to have that happen again.”

“Are you talking about Traci?”

Gail blushed profusely. “No?”

“You are! I _knew_ it.” Holly grinned. “That’s where all the prince jokes come from.” Gail looked at her in surprise. Holly shrugged. “I have ears, you know.”

“I noticed,” Gail deadpanned.

“Snark away, Gail. I know you. You have a big heart underneath.” She smiled. “Your friends know to. They like you a lot. And you’re very at ease around them.”

“Yeah, but they know. About me, I mean. You cannot keep finding excuses not to come skinny dipping with the other kids, can you? They’re the only people in the palace who know. And I know they’ll do anything within their power to keep this secret safe for as long as it’s needed. But then again, they’re also the ones who pushed me to tell you about me.”

“Did they?”

“I was going to,” Gail whined. “Seriously. You can’t possibly believe I was going to let you marry me before you knew? I just—I didn’t know _how_ to tell you. I stood in front of your door so many times, but I always chickened out. I was afraid you’d hate me, that you’d break off the engagement.” Gail’s voice sounded vulnerable. “Are you? Going to break it off?”

“No.”

Gail sighed in relief. “I’m glad. I like you, Holly. I mean that.”

Holly didn’t respond for a while. She was silent for so long that Gail was afraid something was off and that she _was_ going to break off the engagement after all.

But Holly didn’t. When she finally spoke again, Gail had to strain her ears to be able to hear her. “I think I love you. I, um, I told Traci.”

“You did?” Gail looked surprised. “You do?”

“I want to marry you. _You._ Not Steven-you, but Gail-you.”

Gail’s smile was so wide it almost split her face in two. “Let’s do this then!”


	10. You can ring my (wedding) bell

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> this is a short one bc I don't know a single thing about weddings.

This was the first royal wedding in almost thirty years’ time. It still felt surreal to Holly. Discovering that Steve was actually _Gail_ , and that Gail felt the same about her despite both of them being women, and that she still wanted to get married to her. Even given her current situation. It still confused her a little bit, how it hadn’t really dawned on her that Steve wasn’t Steve. In hindsight, the signs were clear. It also explained her attraction to the prince. _The prince_ , Holly snickered internally. Gail had once again promised her to raise the child as her own. And the idea of being in this, with her, made the dread in Holly’s stomach dissipate entirely and caused her to smile.

She had been bathed and groomed, her hair had been braided and she had been dressed in her wedding dress. She was quite a sight for sore eyes, which was confirmed by the guests’ gasps and whispers when she arrived. As she walked down the path, she saw Gail standing there in a blue tunic that brought out her eyes and she felt her heart thumping against her chest. Gail gave her a small reassuring smile, her eyes soft and gentle on her bride. Holly felt her nerves calm down instantly.

She could feel their guests’ eyes on them as they held each other’s hands and said the words. Gail’s family, their friends, the nobles, they were all there. Sadly, none of Holly’s old friends were there, nor her stepmother. She guessed the message from her stepmother was clear. But the guests didn’t really matter. The two of them, standing there in front of each other and choosing each other, _that_ was all that mattered. Something resembling approval flashed over the queen’s face before it disappeared. She took her husband’s hand in hers and watched her only child get married. Holly noticed Bill had a hard time keeping his emotions in check. When they said their vows, he even wept at his face. And when they leaned towards each other to seal their vows with a kiss, Holly standing on her tiptoes and placing her hand on Gail’s jaw, their friends erupted in cheers and clapping. Chris even went as far as to whoop and kick his fists in the air, making Gail roll her eyes at him. Apart from Gail, no-one noticed the three people sneaking in at the back and cheering along for them.

\----------------

After the wedding ceremony, the guests were shown to their seats. The newly-weds, the queen and king and Gail and Holly’s friends sat at the main table and the celebration began. As tradition prescribed, the couple opened with their first dance.

“I can’t promise I’m very good at this,” Gail said when she offered her hand to Holly and they walked towards the dance floor.

“We’ll just sway a little and try not to step on each other’s toes then.”

She felt Gail’s body soften against hers and they smiled.

“I have a surprise for you,” Gail said. “I had hoped my friend would have arrived earlier, but they arrived just in time for our vows.”

“A surprise?” Holly knitted her brow in confusion.

The song ended and they returned to their seats, whilst other couples took their places on the dancefloor. Gail held back Holly’s chair for her. “Yes. You’ll see soon.”

Holly wanted to ask more, but the food was served and she decided to wait for a little bit. Just as she put down her fork, she felt a presence behind them and turned around in her chair. Blue eyes and a freckled face smiled back at her.

“… _SVEN?!”_ Holly shot up from her chair and threw her arms around him. Protocol be damned, Gail thought. If seeing her friend made Holly this happy, she would even fight her mother over it.

But when she looked at Elaine, her mother’s face was ashen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have been distracted but I WILL finish this. And then take another look at TWOAC.


	11. I can wait to be king

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> olaaaa! last chapter.

He looked so much like her father when he was young, it seemed almost impossible. _It couldn’t be. It just couldn’t._ She almost fainted.

“Dear?” Bill’s voice finally reached her through the ringing in her ears.

Elaine’s grip on his arm strengthened. She shakily grabbed for her chair with her other hand, feeling that her knees were about to give in. “I need to sit down.”

“Mother?” Gail asked. “What’s wrong?”

“Steven…”

“Yes?” both Sven and Gail answered.

_Huh?_

\----------------

Andy and Juliet stepped in to explain. They were the ones that Gail had sent to Holly’s old town to investigate and find Sven. Apparently, Holly’s stepmother had banished him from her household, and they had had some trouble finding him since he had taken up sheep herding somewhere in the middle of nowhere.

When they finally found him, he was swearing at a sheep that had gotten itself stuck on a rock and was too afraid to come down. He’d been in the middle of climbing up when Andy had called his name.

“Are you Sven?”

He turned around and the two women looked at each other in shock. Unlike Holly, they had seen portraits of Queen Elaine’s father and uncles, and Sven looked _exactly_ like his portrait belonged somewhere amongst theirs.

“ _This can’t be.”_

They did talk to his mother, Cook, and she told them the whole story. She had been looking for mushrooms in the forest when she had heard a little child cry. When she went looking for it, she had found a small boy of only a few years old, covered in dirt and with his clothes all torn up by the branches of the trees. Dirt was covering his face too, apart from a few tear streaks. When she asked him for his name, he’d said Sven. She hadn’t even seen he was a blonde until she put him in a tub filled with hot water and soap, and then another one since the first one was caked in dirt before he was even clean. She had clothed him and tried to find his parents, but no one was missing a little boy. It was only now that it all came together, and she realised she had been raising a little prince.

\----------------

“He was so young; he couldn’t pronounce his own name yet. He’d always refer to both of you as Sven and Gail.” Elaine’s voice was shaking, and so were her hands. Not even her gripping the silk of her dress could conceal that.

“When you were children, you looked more alike,” Elaine remarked. She cupped her son’s face and turned it left and right. There were tears sliding down her cheeks. Bill squeezed her shoulder in comfort, and she put her hand on his and squeezed back. “I’m so sorry, Gail, for forcing you into this… I never should have. But when I realised that, we were all in too deep already. I should have listened to your father… I should have let you be _you._ ” She looked at Holly and gave her a watery smile before looking back to Gail. “I’m glad you finally found someone you can be yourself with.”

\----------------

“He’s been ogling Traci all night,” Gail complained. They were dancing again – or rather, swaying – and Gail was throwing daggers at Steve and Traci. “Does he really have to do that? She’s my best friend!”

“And he’s mine. They’re just dancing, Gail.”

“They’re not,” she huffed. “That is not just dancing. They’re practically humping each other on the dancefloor. I feel like I’m going to throw up in my mouth a little bit.”

Holly snorted and rolled her eyes at her. “They’re not. Maybe they like each other? Didn’t you like Traci once?”

“I tried to kiss her _once_. And she rebuffed me. It doesn’t count.”

“Sure, honey.” Holly nuzzled her head against Gail’s neck. “Whatever you say.”

“Do you think we need to tell him?” Gail asked Holly. She had been thinking it over since at least eight songs ago.

Holly pursed her lips. “That’s probably best, yes.” She looked at Gail’s face. “Your puppy eyes are _not_ working this time. _You_ can tell him.”

“Oh, my, god!” If looks could kill, Steve would be ashes on the dancefloor. “He’s leaning in to kiss her. I’m intervening!”

She stalked over to the other pair and forcefully dragged Steve away, leaving behind a very confused and flustered Traci. When she looked at Holly questioningly, Holly just shrugged back.

\----------------

“Are you serious?” Steve suddenly went very pale. “I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to! Holly asked…” His voice faded away. He looked positively panicked, his eyes as big as saucers.

“Sven, Steven. Steve? Whatever.” Gail frowned. “Maybe pick one name, yeah? Anyway, I’m not mad. I’m glad she had you, as her friend. That’s all you are, right? Friends?”

“Right.” He looked relieved. “I do love her, but not like that. She knows that. She told me she felt the same.”

“I know.” Gail looked pensive. “Hey, I was wondering if you were interested in a crown and a throne?”

Steven huffed out a laugh but stopped abruptly when he saw her expression. “Oh, you’re serious?!” Gail nodded. “No! Not even in the slightest; I was raised in a kitchen and I loved it there. I’d rather be the palace’s cook than its owner.”

Gail squinted at him. “I kinda hate you right now. I had hoped you’d accept my offer: the kid for the throne.”

“Well I’d love to still be the godfather, but I don’t want the throne. But… Holly is married to prince Steven. Which, apparently, is both you and I? I guess it’s me on paper and you in the flesh. This is just plain weird. My god! Who would ever come up with this?” Steve grimaced. “But… Prince Steven is the baby’s father, no matter how you look at this, the nobles won’t be able to fight that. Which means that the child will be the rightful heir to the throne, if they want to be.”

“Oh.”

\----------------

“This is probably going to go down in history as the most eventful wedding ever.”

Gail closed the door behind her with a thud. As soon as the door closed, the music and their guests’ voices were gone and all that was left was silence.

Only now Holly realised she hadn’t even been in Gail’s chambers before. She regarded the bed that stood in front of the closed windows. Soft sheets, neat furs and feather pillows were piled on top of the bed. Soft leather boots sitting somewhere in a corner. Someone had lit a candle and placed it near the bedtable. _Probably Traci,_ Holly suspected. Holly realised she was staring and hadn’t moved an inch since the door closed. She looked up at Gail to see the other woman’s eyes twinkle with glee.

“So… We’re gonna have a kid.”

“Yes.”

“And the kid is gonna look like both you and me.”

“Well, probably.”

“I’m not sure if I find this situation icky or hilarious.”

Holly glared at her. “ _Don’t_ even.”

“He’s my _brother_ , Holly. I think you have a type,” she grinned. “Pale, blue-eyed and handsome like myself.”

“Stop it, Gail.”

“All jokes aside, _you_ , you are _beautiful_ , inside and out.” she said in a soft voice, “I couldn’t be happier that you agreed to be my wife, and that we’re about to have a family.” Holly blushed profusely. Gail took a step closer to her and brushed back the hairs that had come loose from her braid. “Can I kiss you?”

“Please do,” she whispered.

Gail gently cupped her neck, and as they leaned in, Holly’s hand moved to her chest. Her palm felt warm against her skin. They closed the gap between them, Holly’s lips soft on Gail’s. Holly stepped impossibly closer, her hand falling down to Gail’s waist and pulling her into her. And Holly felt it, the feeling she had been longing for for so long. The kind of love that made her heart stutter in her chest.

"I owe Traci twenty silver coins."

THE END

Bc if I keep adding to this I’ll only make it worse.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Twenty coins bc of chapter 7. I planned this.
> 
> I hope you liked this story! I might post an epilogue called "corona-tion" bc I almost made Gail queen bc I loved the pun so much but then I didn't.  
> I am going to re-read the wonders of autocorrect and hopefully finish that one too. If anyone has any suggestions please let me know. I forgot where I was going with that one.

**Author's Note:**

> I did not dare to bother curious-circumstances with this so this is unbeta-ed. Anyway, let me know which mistakes I need to correct. Many thanks.


End file.
